tick
noun
a slight, sharp, recurring click, tap, or beat, as of a clock.
was ticking
-
past progressiveof tick.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Time was ticking and I wasn’t getting any younger or cuter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 3, 2026
The sailors were taken into custody, but the clock was ticking: Officials in Canberra had decreed that barring the discovery of evidence that would allow extradition, they could hold the men for only 24 hours.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2025
As Ahn was confronting the soldiers, the clock was ticking for opposition lawmakers, who rushed to get into the assembly to block the order.
From BBC ● Dec. 4, 2024
The clock was ticking on that August day in 2022.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2024
A time bomb was ticking at the heart of their outwardly placid, inwardly unstable little family universe, and he was afraid.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
